Different personalities , same person

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a disorder where an individual has many different personalities. According to those coping with DID, living with the condition isn't exactly easy. Many people go through challenges daily and this disorder could affect the close relationships an individual has with others.The main cause of Dissociative Identity Disorder is a history of traumas. Most common traumas would be abuse, either emotional abuse, or physical abuse. Unfortunately, this disorder is not curable.

The Teen Center at Egg Harbor Township High School holds counseling services that promote physical , social and emotional well being. Teen Center counselors are familiar with this disorder. “I know that it’s diagnosed twice as often than ever before now. There can be up to 99 personalities. DID is caused by traumas from childhood. The average personalities for women are 15 and for men it’s 8,” counselor Ms. Lynn said. The Teen Center counselors also don't believe this condition is rising in the teen population, but rather in the adult population. “No , I don't think it’s rising in the teen population , but in the adult population because traumas from childhood and teen years cause DID,¨ Ms.Lynn said.

The psychology teacher in Egg Harbor Township High School studies the human brain. The topic DID is also discussed in psychology class. Ms. Westcott the psychology teacher in Egg Harbor Township High School is familiar with DID. “Yes I know what DID is and in fact I teach DID as part of a curriculum,” Ms. Westcott said. "I know that it’s caused by childhood traumas and that when children go through these traumas they dissociate, which means they can’t handle what is going on so they disconnect . The people that have this condition make personalities that will protect them from these things. Some of the personalities can even have different skills such as speaking different languages and hobbies. It’s crazy how most people don't believe that this condition exists,” Ms. Westcott continued. She also recommended a book on DID called Sybil that offers more insight on the topic. Sybil is about a girl that has an abusive mom and when her mom hits her she dissociates and creates different personalities that protect her from her mom.

For more information on DID and the symptoms , and more tips on dealing with the condition visit these websites for more.